1. Field of Technology
The present invention relates to cooling systems, and more particularly to a cooling system injecting basement water into an exhaust stack of a compressor or pumping station such that the evaporation of the basement water cools the hot gases released from the exhaust stack.
2. Related Art
Compressor facilities, power plants, manufacturing plants, and other large industrial sites typically all collect, store, and have to dispose of xe2x80x9cbasementxe2x80x9d water which is the undesired water that accumulates in certain areas around the plant. For example, basement water may include rain water that infiltrates an engine room or pit, water originating from a cooling water system leak, or water used in cleaning an engine room, pit, or apparatus. This basement water is collected and transferred to a common collection facility. Because of these sources, basement water is typically dirty and almost always contains traces of oil, grease, glycol, and the like.
It is very difficult and expensive to dispose of basement water. In order to have on-site discharge, the waste basement water must be treated such that the resulting treated water is of a certain quality that satisfies the discharge levels set by state or federal governments. For example, on-site treatment may comprise using PHC degrading microorganisms to consume the oil and grease contained in the basement water.
When on-site discharge is not feasible, the basement water must be transported, or trucked, off-site and treated by a water treatment facility. Such off-site treatment is very expensive. For example, in 1991, all basement water generated at the Rayne Compression Facility in Louisiana was transported via 18-wheeler trucks in 6000 gallon lots to a disposal facility in Tennessee, costing an average of $6,000.00 per truckload of basement water.
Therefore, there is a need for an efficient and economical means for disposing of basement water that does not require treating the basement water until it satisfies government discharge levels nor require the transport, or trucking, of the basement water to a water treatment facility.
In addition to the constant accumulation of basement water that requires treatment, conventional compressor or pumping stations also employ numerous exhaust stacks as a means for discharging or releasing air, steam and/or other gases from the plant into the atmosphere. Typically, the released gases are of an extremely high temperature which require cooling before their release.
Therefore there is a need for an efficient and economical means for cooling the hot gases released from the exhaust stacks of the compressors.
The present invention solves the problems associated with managing basement water collected at a compressor station by employing a basement water injection/evaporation system. The system employs a series of pipe lines and pumps to transport basement water from a storage tank to an exhaust stack where an atomized spray of basement water is injected directly into the exhaust stack and immediately evaporated by the hot gases released from the exhaust stack.
Specifically, the means for injecting the basement water into the exhaust stack is one or more injector or spray nozzles positioned within the interior of the exhaust stack. The spray nozzles are preferably attached to the perimeter of the interior of the exhaust stack, but may alternatively be positioned, such as in the center of the exhaust stack. One or more high efficiency filter elements also are integrally connected to the pipe line prior to the spray nozzles. The filter elements remove any contaminants or debris from the basement water prior to it being injected into the interior of the exhaust stack.
In addition, the means for transporting the basement water from the storage tank to the means for injecting, e.g., the spray nozzles, includes a first pipe line connected to a transfer pump, wherein the transfer pump transfers, or pumps, the basement water from the storage tank into the first pipeline. The first pipeline is preferably PVC tubing and transports the basement water to an injection pump located near the exhaust stack. The injection pump transfers, or pumps, the basement water to a second pipeline. The second pipe line is preferably stainless steel tubing and transfers the basement water to the spray nozzles in the interior of the exhaust stack. Preferably, the second pipe line is routed alongside the exhaust stack and makes a vertical ascent prior to terminating at the spray nozzles. Any filters attached to the system are preferably attached on the vertical ascent portion of the second pipe line.
There are many advantages to implementing a system of the present invention with an exhaust stack of a power plant or compressor facility. First, the most obvious advantage is that the basement water is recycled thereby eliminating the need to haul it off of the premises for disposal. This saves time, money and additional emissions generated by the trucks used in hauling the basement water. In fact, annual cost savings at the Rayne Compressor Facility in Louisiana are about $30,000.00 (based on 7 to 9 truck loads per year).
Another advantage is that the released gases from the exhaust stack reach temperatures ranging from about 500 degrees to 800 degrees F. at the spray nozzles. Therefore, as the basement water is injected into the exhaust stack, the basement water is instantaneously evaporated. This eliminates the need for any additional gas-fired evaporator and eliminates any additional emissions that may have been generated by the installation of such an evaporator. The injection of water directly into the exhaust stack also results in some lowering of the temperature of the emissions.
In addition, this system utilizes all basement water that is collected and stored in a storage container. Therefore, almost all of the water used in washing the engine rooms and pits will be recycled resulting in a very efficient and economical system.